Just a little sports chatter

So we are thru the quarterfinals and what we got this weekend was what felt to me like a sandwich of games...and not the one you really like but tolerate anyways (pick your own average sandwich). We got a couple of good (one great) games as the bread and then two stinkers at depending on how you look at it showed the dominance of a conference or luck running out.  Either way you slice it we have arrived at our final four and when you think about it was there really any doubt of the four teams? Yea maybe Sam Houston St is a surprise but the other three? If you had seen someone other than them make it we would have some "cinderella" intrigue, though the intrigue that we have got is pretty damn interesting. All four teams have some flaws, though in the case of NDSU we really haven't seen it in the playoffs, and all four have a chance to make it. We shall see what this weekend has in store Oh and before I forget...Its no secret how much ESPN loves James Madison and Nor...

Once again we see what happens when games are decided on the field and not on a computer. This past Saturday saw a bit of everything from one really good shootout, to the status quo, to revenge, and yes we had some surprising. For guys like me, its good seeing a huge mess of results because, lets face it, its boring when we see the same teams winning and just going about it in some "ho hum" kinda way. You want to see some excitement to see a team like Kennesaw St seemingly bring its  whole fan base and treat a road game like it was played in the Georgia Dome. More about that crowd in a bit but just like last week, go through every game and some notes on each game. There is something to say about the fan bases of these teams when you see 5 of the 8 game with 10,000+ in attendance. With conference championships all over to see so many in the stands creates an atmosphere that players on this level rarely see. And with the venues next week, expect those numbers to stay really ...

Well that was a very interesting Saturday...eight teams no longer in the hunt as we had a good mix of games from the sloppy to the the evenly-matched. This week was most likely a sign of how the playoffs will roll as a hole. Before I get to each game individually, some general thoughts about the weekend Note to ESPN, can we get back the multiscreen for the WatchESPN page? Scrolling between 6 games can be rough and would have been made at least a tiny bit easier with that feature. Though admittedly once the Western/Weber St game came on I focused most attention that way The NCAA really needs to find a way to do away with the regional match-ups. Its like how the D-II playoffs are done without the regional rankings and it made for a few uneven match-ups and a couple games with teams that should be hosting playoff games not going on the road There were some solid crowds at all the games this weekend with the smallest being the UNH/CCSU game with only 2,300+ and the largest being a bit...

Here I am back again...did promise you more. My thoughts on the field of 24 and ranking them 24-1 from least likely to win to most likely to celebrate in Frisco, TX Playoff Selection Thoughts Look, I know, with me writing this I'm playing a "Monday Morning QB" deal but the committee of 10 had one hell of a time picking 24 teams to get in the playoffs. Not everyone will be happy but hey, that's part of the job So getting the nice nice out of the way...the fact that Nicholls, New Hampshire, and S. Dakota made the playoffs is just mind blogging. All three lost their last game, Nicholls lost on the road to SE Louisiana and New Hampshire got shutout by 4-7 Albany. But even while those are bad, the worst entry was S. Dakota...ending a season at 1-4 shouldn't give you a playoff team. But the weirdest twist, all three have a chance at deep runs and two host a playoff game The team with the loudest beef should be Austin Peay. Good story aside, to go 7-1 versus FC...

Alright so the weekend has ended and 24 teams got their invite and dance partners for the playoff dance. And after the initial shock of seeing who made and who didn't (more on that later), taking a step back and looking at what is the bracket...this is probably the most open the playoffs have been since I was in college. What I will talk about today, first off some thoughts on just the general weekend with a couple non playoff teams. Second, talk about the playoffs and who got some beef and who should be thanking their lucky stars. Third, power rankings...24 to 1. So without any further ado... Weekend Thoughts Man did the weather throughout the central part of the country affect a lot of games. Wind, snow, and rain in the Midwest, heavy wind in the south, you could see a lot of games highly affected by the weather and create a huge impact on a few with playoff implications  I know teams like Austin Peay, Elon and Nicholls stole a few headlines with the seasons each had and ...

So with the FCS playoffs around the corner a number of teams still have hopes of making the field of 24 for their chance at standing atop the mountain in Frisco, TX. This past week cleared up some of the speculation with the first four teams punching tickets to the playoff by getting the auto-bids from their respective conferences. San Diego (Pioneer), Wofford (SoCon), Jacksonville St (Ohio Valley), and Central Conn St (Northeast) can all rest a but easier knowing this week is more about pride then wondering if they have done enough. So what we shall do is go conference by conference and look at see who still has a shot, who is all but a lock, and who’s bubble will burst after this past week. The number of worthy teams hasn’t been this high in a long time, some good teams will be left out no matter what. About 30 teams can say they have a case and I will go thru every single one and tell you who will and who won’t make come selection this Sunday. Big Sky We start off with the bi...